Wednesday, May 7, 2014

If there is one Hollywood actress that can turn me into a stone, figuratively and literally, every time I see her, it’s definitely Emma Stone.

Just look at her photo. If you’re a male reading this post and looking at Emma’s image right now, tell me what part of your body is beginning to feel a bit stiff and hard at this very moment. Your hands and fingers, right? You can’t move them because your brain is telling you not to scroll down the mouse just yet.

Last week, I was able to see the second installment of The Amazing Spider-man series which I prefer to label as The Amazing Gwen Stacy 2. Of course, I watched it because it’s a Peter Parker movie but it was Emma Stone who really made me crawl to the theatre in spite of forewarnings from friends that there are long lines just to purchase tickets to the film and would need a pocket-full of patience to survive the Rhino-like and Electro dynamo of an event.

Good thing my spider senses led me to SM Megamall IMAX theatres where I was introduced to the stored value-based contactless smart card payment application with e-PLUS Tap to Pay. I am not really a fan of keeping different cards in my wallet since it confuses me sometimes. I remember one time, I tried to pay my groceries using a motel discount card (which was suppose to be not there since it’s not mine. Please believe me it’s not mine.).

I need this! I am virtually in a SM establishment more often than in my in-laws house.

So to make the story short, I availed a e-PLUS card and avoided long lines and now have more reasons to come back in SM and try it with other establishments.

Now if you have not seen The Amazing Spided-Man 2 aka The Gwen Stacy 2 movie, I suggest you stop reading this post that contains spoiler about the film. Or better, get an e-PLUS card so you know what I have been talking about for minutes.

1. Despite Gwen Stacy dying in the film. Emma Stone is signed on to do at least two more Amazing Spider-man films.

2. With the exit of Gwen’s character, here comes Mary-Jane Watson to be played by Shailene Woodley (another demigoddess of beauty) who played Amy Juergens in The Secret Life of the American Teenager in 2008.

3. The dog that Gwen walks while Peter spies on her from a rooftop, actually belongs to Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. They adopted him in 2013.

4. Gwen fellow Oscorp employee Felicia Hardy is known in the marvel comics as Black Cat, a cat burgle and occasionally a love interest of Spider-man.

5. During the scene where Peter and Gwen see each other for the first time in a year, Andrew Garfield's heel was run over by a taxi.

7. Towards the end of the film, Gwen Stacy wears a mint colored coat and a purple skirt, this is a reference to the controversial "Night That Gwen Stacy Died" story arc in the comics where she wore a very similar outfit.

8. There were several different endings filmed, including one where the Goblin (Dane DeHaan) snaps Gwen's neck with his bare hands. But this was deemed too violent for a PG-13 rating. A version where the Goblin fatally stabs Gwen was also filmed.

Now as a bonus trivia, have you ever thought why there is a hypen or dash in Spider-man’s name?

Stan Lee, the man behind our friendly neighbourhood hero, had a pretty good reason for that one, and it dates all the way back to when he created Peter Parker’s alter ego in 1962. At the time, DC’s Superman was one of the biggest comic book hero out there, and Lee was worried his new hero (who wears those similar blue and red colors, and has a name that starts with an “S”) would be glossed over as too similar.

Do you have an interesting Spider-man or Gwen Stacy trivia to share? Go to the comment section and I’ll be glad to hear from you.